Requirements and procedures to set up a language center in Vietnam

In today's globalization, learning foreign languages, especially English, has become a must for students and working people alike. So setting up a foreign language center is becoming common and is a trend education business for businesses and individuals today.

So what are the conditions and procedures for setting up a foreign language center? What experience do you need to set up a foreign language center with high results? Let's MONA Media look at the details of how to open a foreign language center effectively in the article below!

Conditions for setting up a foreign language center

When starting this business, investors first need to look at the conditions for opening a foreign language center, so the newly set up center runs as smoothly as possible.

Business registration conditions for a center 

By law, both individuals and organizations can set up a foreign language teaching center. But because many applications are submitted, authorities tend to prioritize licensing organizations over individuals. Either way, the first requirement to open a foreign language center is business registration.

Some things to note when registering a foreign language education center:

• The industry code is 8559, described as "foreign language center".
• Meet other conditions such as business name, head office address, charter capital, and more.
• Review and check every license for setting up a foreign language center, such as the center's business registration certificate, practice certificates, and degree requirements.

The whole business registration file for a foreign language training facility is submitted to the Ministry of Education and Training, so prepare it completely and carefully.

Requirements for the plan to set up an English center

This is a document that sets out the center's business plan and is submitted to the licensing authority.

Main sections of the plan to set up a foreign language center:

• Name of the foreign language center.
• Address of the center's head office.
• The legal basis for setting up the English center.
• The teaching program at the center and the training scale.
• The center's facilities and technology.
• The organizational structure of the center's education business.
• Résumé of the person opening the foreign language center (the director).

Quality and facilities requirements

You need to meet facilities requirements to qualify for setting up a foreign language center. This not only makes your center more competitive but also delivers the education quality set out in your plan.

A foreign language training center with good facilities should meet these conditions:

• Classrooms that are comfortable and suit students.
• Classrooms do not need to be very large, but students should feel at ease, not cramped, and the lighting must be adequate.
• A reasonable class size.
• Full equipment: whiteboards, projectors, audio equipment, and more.
• Modern learning technology such as an LMS (learning management system),…
• A parking lot or designated parking area.
• Full fire safety equipment.

In addition, some large centers build computer rooms for self-study and extra skill practice. They also invest in a library with more books and other materials.

Requirements for teacher qualifications and staff capability

The number of staff depends on the scale of each center. The staff recruited must meet the standards and quality required, especially teachers.

Staff records must include degrees and professional certificates, and staff should have work experience. This keeps the center running steadily in its first period.

Under Circular No. 21/2018/TT-BGDDT issued by the Ministry of Education and Training on the organization and operation of foreign language centers, teacher records must meet the following criteria:

• For Vietnamese teachers:
  • A college degree in foreign language teaching or higher.
  • A college degree in a foreign language or higher, plus a teaching certificate.
• For native-speaker teachers: A college degree in a foreign language or higher, plus a suitable language teaching certificate.
• For foreign teachers:
  • A college degree in foreign language teaching or higher.
  • A college degree in a foreign language or higher, with a suitable language teaching certificate.
  • A college degree or higher and a foreign language proficiency certificate at level 5 or above (on Vietnam's 6-level foreign language framework).

Teaching curriculum requirements

Building a training program of a language center is judged not only on teacher ability but also on its curriculum. So among the conditions to set up a foreign language center, building the curriculum is a must.

To build an effective curriculum, the English center director must have experience and solid expertise in foreign language training.

Usually a curriculum is built in one of two ways: write your own, or use an existing one.

• For a self-built curriculum it must not be copied from other curricula, the content must suit students' levels, and it must meet the general standards. The English center can also base its curriculum on the exam frameworks of popular international certificates such as IELTS and TOEIC, to design suitable courses for each certificate.
• For an existing curriculum, the center should use curricula from reputable associations and education organizations that are published in Vietnam. If a curriculum has not been published in Vietnam, it must be reviewed and assessed before use.

Procedures to open a foreign language center

To set up your English center smoothly, you need to know the procedures for setting up the facility and prepare the most detailed plan. They come down to 7 steps:

Step 1: Register the business

* The company registration file includes:

• Application for an education business license.
• Draft company charter.
• List of members and shareholders founding the business.
• ID documents (ID card, citizen ID, or passport) of the legal representative and the shareholders contributing capital (2 certified copies).
• Power of attorney from the director (if the director does not go in person).
• ID card, citizen ID, or passport of the person the director authorizes to handle business registration.

* Issuing the company business registration certificate takes 3 to 5 working days.

Step 2: Register to open the foreign language center

* The file to register an education center includes:

• Application to set up a foreign language and IT center.
• The plan and registration procedure for the foreign language center (listed in the section on plan requirements).
• Draft rules for the operation of the foreign language education business.

* Issuing the English center establishment license takes 15 to 20 working days (from when the authority receives a valid application).

Step 3: Register the English center to operate

* The file to register a foreign language center to operate includes:

• Application for a license to operate an education center.
• A copy issued from the original register, a notarized copy of the original, or a copy shown against the original, for the person with authority to decide on setting up the foreign language center.
• Rules for education activities at the language center.
• A report on the center's operations, covering facilities, learning materials, curriculum, teaching staff, documents proving the right to use the education premises, funding, and more, to ensure the foreign language center runs effectively.

* Time limit to license a foreign language center to operate:

• 5 working days: From receipt of a complete, valid file, the authority reviews and checks it as required.
• 10 working days: The person with authority decides whether to allow the foreign language center to be set up (if the file meets the conditions).

Application forms to set up a foreign language center

Sample application to open a foreign language center

Sample application to set up a foreign language center

Sample decision to set up a foreign language center

Latest sample decision licensing a new foreign language center

Cost of opening a foreign language center

Buying a foreign language center involves many costs, depending on whether you open a small or large English center. You also need to plan your capital in detail so it is easy to manage, track, and calculate.

So how much capital do you need to open a foreign language center?

Here are some basic fees to get you started starting a foreign language center:

• Company business registration fee: 250,000 VND.
• Company seal engraving fee: 220,000 VND to 450,000 VND.
• Signboard fee for the language center: 220,000 VND to 450,000 VND.
• Fee to publish company registration information on the national portal: 300,000 VND.
• Fee to apply for the foreign language center establishment license: 20,000,000 VND to 30,000,000 VND.
• Premises rent for a foreign language center runs from about 20,000,000 VND to 40,000,000 VND per month. (You usually pay 3 to 6 months upfront, so prepare 60,000,000 VND to 120,000,000 VND.)

So the total cost of setting up a foreign language center will run from 80,000,000 VND to 170,000,000 VND in initial spending. You also need a detailed plan for other costs such as hiring staff, investing in facilities, and more.

Experience in setting up an English center for high results

Once you have met the conditions to open an English center and prepared all the paperwork to set it up, you will want to learn how to run and manage a foreign language center for the best results. Here are some experiences MONA shares for anyone starting a foreign language and IT center.

Optimize your workflow professionally

Workflows at foreign language centers usually get little attention, especially at small and mid-sized centers. When something unexpected comes up, managers and staff tend to react rather than plan.

On top of that, management and task handover are unclear and mostly done by hand, through email and messages on Zalo (Vietnam's popular messaging app), Messenger, and more. This makes it hard to follow the workflow between departments or to judge staff performance and results.

So when setting up your foreign language center, put more effort into building and optimizing your workflow. Today, running a foreign language center mostly means using tools and management software for language centers that are highly professional, simplify the process, and make management easier.

So when building your workflow, look at software and platforms made specifically for foreign language centers. They save you as much time as possible and let you handle problems more proactively.

One of the English center management software that stands out most and is the most complete today is MONA LMS which is a product package within the education management ecosystem MONA Edutech. With the mission of delivering complete solutions for language centers, combined with online e-learning, the MONA LMS training center management web app is trusted by 180+ centers across the country. Using the MONA LMS training center management system helps managers standardize management processes and run operations more efficiently. Standout advantages of MONA LMS software: Effective placement testing and entry enrollment management. Systematic management of potential customers. Detailed management of classes and student information. Automated finance management, income and expenses, and tuition collection. Interaction between teachers, parents, and students. Contact MONA staff now to get FREE 24/7 CONSULTATION, through: Hotline: 1900 636 648 Email: info@themona.global Address: 1073/23 Cach Mang Thang 8, Ward 7, Tan Binh District, Ho Chi Minh City

Build a business plan when opening an English center

For an English center to grow sustainably, a business plan is a must. A detailed plan gives you the big picture to assess and analyze the future, and to study and identify what affects growth, so the business can choose better options.

Here are some specific steps to put together a business plan for a foreign language center:

• Outline the business idea.
• Set goals for the idea.
• Research and assess the market.
• Identify and analyze strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats.
• Business model.
• Invest in facilities.
• Marketing plan and strategy.
• Recruit staff and teachers.

Brand promotion strategy

In every field, building a brand promotion strategy is essential, and education is no different. For a foreign language center, you can use traditional marketing such as handing out flyers, or build partnership programs with schools and open trial classes so students can meet the teachers and see the teaching method.

You should also invest in digital advertising, such as ads on social networks, websites, YouTube, and more, to build your brand and reach target students faster and more effectively.

Buying building a center brand tied to a distinct strength and image will make your center stand out, and its message and imagery will speak to the right students, leave an impression, and be easier to recognize.

FAQs

1. Who can set up an English center?

Those allowed to set up a language teaching center include the State, domestic organizations and individuals, and foreign organizations and individuals investing fully or contributing capital. They must meet the business operating conditions set by current law.

2. Where do you submit the application to set up a foreign language center?

You can now submit the application to open a foreign language center in two places:

• The Department of Education and Training (Sở Giáo dục và Đào tạo)
• The local Department of Education and Training where you want to open the language center

3. What is the process for setting up an English center?

The process to open a foreign language center follows 3 steps:

• Step 1: The organization or individual submits the file directly to the Department of Education and Training where the language center will be set up. You can also go to the portal: https://dichvucong.hanoi.gov.vn/nop-truc-tuyen to submit the file online.
• Step 2: Within 10 working days of receiving a complete, valid file, the receiving agency reviews and checks it under the rules for setting up a foreign language center.
• Step 3: Within 5 working days, the Department of Education and Training sends the decision allowing the English center to open if it qualifies. If not, it sends a written notice stating the reasons so you can fix them.

4. How long does it take to get a license to set up a foreign language center?

The procedure to get a license to open a foreign language center usually takes about 15 working days from receipt of a complete, valid file.

• If the file needs to be reviewed again, processing takes another 10 days.
• If the file does not meet requirements, the receiving office will notify you and ask you to add to or correct the file within 5 working days.

Study carefully what you need to open an English center and all the procedures to set up a foreign language and language teaching center so your center is as well prepared as possible. Many more issues will come up once you start operating, and the better prepared you are, the more polished your operating model will be. We hope the information MONA Media shares above gives you more knowledge for your plan to open a foreign language and IT teaching center in the market.